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Lokislady85 
Newbie
Joined: 14.Oct.2014
Location: United States
Using: AutoCAD2014 LT, Inventor2012, 3DS MAX, FASTCAD7.5X
Status: Offline
Points: 17
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 Topic: Room Numbers/Blocks/labels
Posted: 19.May.2015 at 15:06 |
I am currently working with AutoCAD 2015 LT on a 64 bit Windows 8.1 computer (just to knock out the pre-requisites). I noticed something interesting (that I would like to use in my own work) on some drawings I recently got for editing from an architectural firm (I work as a telecoms subcontractor), the room numbers are linked blocks...but I 1. don't have the origin for updates, and 2. they stay that way until exploded. However, this is soooo useful and I have several labels I'd like to use the same technique on but, how is it done? Because these labels are special little snow flakes and linking them would be great. Things done to try to auto update these labels like those room numbers: 1. TABLE command, would've worked okay except labels are irregularly spaced and require individual measurement due to drift on printing. 2. XREF command, at first it didn't print, and then it didn't update. 3. OLE object, no updating when I needed a new sequence of numbers. All I want this block (or what ever works, truly) to do is stay where I put it, and update from an excel spread sheet, irregular measurements and all... Thanks for any help or suggestions!
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Lokislady85
Newbie
Joined: 14.Oct.2014
Location: United States
Using: AutoCAD2014 LT, Inventor2012, 3DS MAX, FASTCAD7.5X
Status: Offline
Points: 17
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Posted: 19.May.2015 at 15:33 |
Update... Darn the room numbers are block attributes, which while possible, tends to be time consuming. Anyway, any help on getting these labels setup for expediency would still be awesome.
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John Connor
Senior Member
Joined: 01.Feb.2011
Location: United States
Using: AutoCAD 2018
Status: Offline
Points: 7175
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Posted: 19.May.2015 at 16:20 |
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The room number blocks are linked to a spreadsheet and you want to do the same thing?
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"Humans have a strength that cannot be measured. This is John Connor. If you are reading this, you are the resistance." <<AutoCAD 2015>>
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Lokislady85
Newbie
Joined: 14.Oct.2014
Location: United States
Using: AutoCAD2014 LT, Inventor2012, 3DS MAX, FASTCAD7.5X
Status: Offline
Points: 17
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Posted: 19.May.2015 at 16:51 |
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Yes, because I really don't want the lines that come with a table...
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John Connor
Senior Member
Joined: 01.Feb.2011
Location: United States
Using: AutoCAD 2018
Status: Offline
Points: 7175
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Posted: 19.May.2015 at 16:59 |
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So how would you a) set up your attributed block and 2) set up the spreadsheet?
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"Humans have a strength that cannot be measured. This is John Connor. If you are reading this, you are the resistance." <<AutoCAD 2015>>
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Lokislady85
Newbie
Joined: 14.Oct.2014
Location: United States
Using: AutoCAD2014 LT, Inventor2012, 3DS MAX, FASTCAD7.5X
Status: Offline
Points: 17
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Posted: 19.May.2015 at 17:05 |
Less on how do I make a block with attributes and more how do I make an attribute from an excel spreadsheet...such as
xxxx xxx
xxxx xxx xxx
xxxx xxx xxx
right? and then link the xxx blocks to individual cells on the same spread sheet... The spread sheet I have but double lines in excel are a pain as well as irregular spacing so...CAD?
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John Connor
Senior Member
Joined: 01.Feb.2011
Location: United States
Using: AutoCAD 2018
Status: Offline
Points: 7175
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Posted: 19.May.2015 at 18:02 |
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I thought all you were concerned about were the numbers? Are you also trying to draw the lines that surround the numbers too?
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"Humans have a strength that cannot be measured. This is John Connor. If you are reading this, you are the resistance." <<AutoCAD 2015>>
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Lokislady85
Newbie
Joined: 14.Oct.2014
Location: United States
Using: AutoCAD2014 LT, Inventor2012, 3DS MAX, FASTCAD7.5X
Status: Offline
Points: 17
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Posted: 19.May.2015 at 18:29 |
Sigh, no we need numbers that update from excel with exact placement since the lables are perferated and standard sizing in a table ends up with at least one row (or more) of labels with perferations through the text. We also only want the text, no borders since these are small labels that need to be legible. We've been trying with blocks to get the placement but we still need this to update from excel...which is where a table would be nice (and we know how to remove the borders) and it links to excel but... the excel sheet is all single line, and the labels are double line (room number and slot #) which is not arranging well on the sheet... So, yeah, how do you link a block attribute to multiple spots on an excel sheet? As in excel= line 1 line 2 to... AutoCAD Block= attribute 1 attribute 2
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John Connor
Senior Member
Joined: 01.Feb.2011
Location: United States
Using: AutoCAD 2018
Status: Offline
Points: 7175
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Posted: 19.May.2015 at 18:42 |
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Every time you expand upon a question I ask I can think of six more questions. Maybe I should stop.
Post a sample drawing. Perhaps that will clear up my confusion.
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"Humans have a strength that cannot be measured. This is John Connor. If you are reading this, you are the resistance." <<AutoCAD 2015>>
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John Connor
Senior Member
Joined: 01.Feb.2011
Location: United States
Using: AutoCAD 2018
Status: Offline
Points: 7175
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Posted: 19.May.2015 at 20:04 |
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Maybe you can use Express Tools to accomplish the task?
In AutoCAD go to...
Express Tools > Blocks > Export Attribute Information > Specify Output File Name > Select Blocks.
Open the resultant text file in Excel, edit your attributes and "save as" a text file. You can choose to overwrite the exported text file or create a new one.
Back in AutoCAD go to...
Express Tools > Blocks > Import Attribute Information > Select Saved Text File.
I tested the method using a simple block with one attribute (a room number) and it worked.
This method was originally suggested at CADTutor by someone calling themselves Newby Bern.
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"Humans have a strength that cannot be measured. This is John Connor. If you are reading this, you are the resistance." <<AutoCAD 2015>>
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